Volume 32 Number 2(A) 2016
ISSN 0949-149X
The International Journal of Engineering Education
Contents
Contributions in: Student Reasoning, Entrepreneurship, Innovation,
Interdisciplinary Programs, Multidisciplinary Teams, Active Learning,
Learning Styles, Teaching Practices, Outreach, Academia and
Industry, Plagiarism Detection, Assessment, Design Process, Parallel
Computing, Virtual Learning, Robotics, Digital Signal Processing,
Wireless Programming, Radar and Radiolocalization, Chemical
Engineering, Sociology
Ahmad Ibrahim
Steven Zemke
583
584–597
Editorial
Developing a Coding Framework to Analyze Student-to-Student Reasoning
Based on Mental Models Theory
The use of active learning pedagogies, as well as research into their effectiveness, has increased greatly the past few decades. These
pedagogies typically depend on student-to-student interactions to facilitate learning. Video recordings of student interactions
provide excellent observational data from which to study the dynamics of these pedagogies in a naturalistic setting. However, these
data are typically voluminous, include many potential features to follow, and as such make analysis difficult. One way to decrease
the difficulty in analysis is to use a robust coding framework. This study develops such a coding framework using a well-established
Mental Models theory of reasoning as a theoretical lens. Each element within the coding framework is analogous to an element in
the mental models theory. This coding framework was applied to video recorded data of six student teams reviewing a peer team’s
prototype design in a classroom setting. The coding resulted in 567 transcription segments of which 68% related to the prototype
review. All elements of the mental models theory are evident and code-able in the data and the general structure of the verbalized
reasoning is identified. A rich description of the verbalized reasoning is provided. Furthermore, this reasoning structure appears
constant across changes in student engagement and interaction purposes. As such, the identified structure of student reasoning,
based on the mental models theory, provides a robust coding framework.
Keywords: mental models; coding framework; student reasoning
Qu Jin, Shannon K. Gilmartin,
Helen L. Chen, Sara K. Johnson,
Michelle B. Weiner, Richard M. Lerner
and Sheri Sheppard
598–613
Entrepreneurial Career Choice and Characteristics of Engineering and
Business Students
This paper measures the entrepreneurial intent and related characteristics of engineering undergraduates, as compared with business
students. The purpose of this study is to describe and test the difference on entrepreneurial intent and related characteristics for
engineering and business students with different career goals for both genders. Data were collected through the Young
Entrepreneurs Study (YES) survey, which included 518 engineering and 471 business undergraduates from multiple institutions.
Analysis of Variance with Tukey-Kramer tests and independent samples t-tests with Bonferroni corrections were conducted to test
for differences across groups. The results showed that starters (participants who stated starting an organization as their career goal)
reported significantly higher scores than did joiners (participants who stated joining an organization as their career goal) in several
entrepreneurship-related characteristics. Although business students were more likely to cite entrepreneurship as their career goal
than were engineering students, engineering and business students who had the same career goals showed similar characteristics
that were related to entrepreneurial intent. Women and men starters, regardless of discipline, have similar entrepreneurship-related
characteristics; however, business men have higher entrepreneurial intent than do engineering women. With similar
entrepreneurship-related characteristics among engineering and business starters, entrepreneurial courses and programs for
engineering and business starters could be structured similarly. Perhaps these courses could be multidisciplinary, serving both
engineering and business starters, although engineering students in these types of courses should be encouraged to have more
confidence in communicating their ideas. Curricula might be designed such that some groups, such as engineering women, with less
salient intentions, could easily access resources and tools to develop their ideas.
Keywords: entrepreneurship; innovation; gender
Adrian Holzer, Isabelle Vonèche Cardia,
Samuel Bendahan, Alexis Berne, Luca
Bragazza, Antonin Danalet, Ambrogio
Fasoli, Jérôme N. Feige, Denis Gillet,
Siara Isaac, Ingrid Le Duc, Delphine
Preissmann and Roland Tormey
614–624
Increasing the Perspectives of Engineering Undergraduates on Societal
Issues through an Interdisciplinary Program
To tackle the challenges of the 21st century, future scientists and engineers have to understand the interplay between societal
challenges and technical solutions as early as possible in their education. They also have to develop the communication and the
teamwork skills required to be effective professionals. To address this issue, the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
introduced a new Global Issues program to all 1800 first year engineering students. In this paper, we present this novel program
and reflect on our experience. Our results suggest that student who showed positive attitude towards teamwork, benefited the most
from the course and increase their perspectives on societal issues as measured by their moral reasoning after the course.
Keywords: engineering education; soft skills; global issues; interdisciplinary approach; teamwork; communication; climate; food;
energy; health; mobility
Mark Steiner and Junichi Kanai
625–639
Creating Effective Multidisciplinary Capstone Project Teams
Capstone courses are commonly employed in engineering curricula to prepare students for professional practice through a
culminating design experience. A project-based experiential approach is typically employed, which gives rise to various issues
concerning the methods and factors involved with the creation of effective student teams. This paper presents a unique
methodology for assignment of students to multidisciplinary capstone projects and teams. The methodology described involves
compilation and mapping of student interests, knowledge and capabilities needed to fulfill project requirements. In addition to
describing the mapping process, data collected on 679 students over four semesters is used to explore the factors that have an
impact on team effectiveness. These factors include academic performance, practical engineering experience, career interests, project
preferences, personality, and technical skills.
Keywords: capstone design; team selection; multidisciplinary; project-based learning
Nilanjan Raghunath and Timothy Li
640–653
Unlearning Anxieties of the Unfamiliar: Teaching Advanced Sociological
Topics to Engineering Students
Learning new concepts outside one’s domain can be challenging due to the complexity of the content, the method of delivery, and
the assessment process. However, learning new concepts is a necessary part of education and individual growth. This paper outlines
this challenge in the context of undergraduate and engineering students taking a sociology course entitled, ‘‘Who Gets Ahead:
Sociology of Social Networks and Social Capital’’. We review some of the existing literature focused around teaching new concepts
to unfamiliar students, as well as discuss some of the literature around teaching the topic of sociology to engineering students.
Finally we will describe our approach taken to teach a sociology course to engineers, as well as some of the observations taken
during the course. The outcome of the course showed that many of the student’s concerns of the course’s requirements stay the
same from the beginning to the end, however their perceptions of sociology change to a highly positive one when they are able to
apply theories and concepts to real-life examples such as their internships or interpersonal relationships and concrete empirical
studies. The challenge is to get them to consider multiple interpretations of social phenomena, as there is a tendency to look for
one right answer. Eventually, the success of any sociological course is on how these concerns can be met through innovative
teaching methods.
Keywords: sociology; concepts; engineering; education; interdisciplinary; pedagogy
Baba Abdul, Olusola O. Adesope, David
B. Thiessen and Bernard J. Van Wie
654–669
Comparing the Effects of Two Active Learning Approaches
Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that learning is enhanced when instructors use pedagogical strategies that present
information in multiple formats, and that such strategies engender more student engagement than passive lecture. Multimedia
learning including multimedia-enhanced lecture (multimedia) and hands-on interactive group learning (hands-on) are two of such
strategies that are believed to be more engaging than passive lecture. This paper describes a study in which hands-on with elements
of other multimedia (or multimedia hands-on) and multimedia are compared. In a within-subjects experimental design, two groups
(N = 19 in each group; hands-on and multimedia), alternated between being the control and treatment for either of two topics.
Concept tests and worksheets were used to assess cognitive learning, and surveys for affective outcomes. The majority of
participants agree that hands-on is more realistic and facilitates better cognition, professional preparedness, and acquisition of realworld experiences than multimedia. Surveys reveal high effect sizes in favor of hands-on. However, cognitive assessment scores did
not produce any statistically significant differences between the two groups. No deleterious effects were perceived from hands-on
and student comments suggest that it may be more beneficial than multimedia in terms of solidifying schema (longer term
retention) and providing other benefits of competency-based education such as group skills, engaging learning and realism.
Keywords: student engagement; multimedia-enhanced lecture; hands-on learning; active learning
Eutiquio Gallego, Virginia Dı́az Barcos,
Eva Cristina Correa Hernando, Elvira
Sánchez Espinosa and Antonio Callejo
Ramos
670–681
Influence of the Perceived Workload of Students on the Academic
Performance Rates
The new programs of studies developed according to the European Higher Education Systems are students—centered. In this sense,
it is critical to properly set the workload a student must dedicate in order to reach the learning outcomes defined for each subject.
This paper analyses the perception of students with regards to the difficulty and workload employed by them in the first course of
two new degrees implemented at Technical University of Madrid (TUM). Several questionnaires were developed to gather the
information required, which contained questions about the difficulty perceived or the time spent, among others. The total number
of students that took part in the surveys ranged from 54 to 63, depending on the four months of the semester considered
(February, March, April and May). In addition, statistical analyses were conducted to check the influence of the perceived
difficulty and workload on the academic performance rates. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and a subsequent Hierarchical
Ascendant Classification (HAC) were also accomplished to obtain the clusters representing the subjects considered in this work.
The students usually perceive a higher difficulty in the study of the subjects than expected prior to their enrollment in University.
Those subjects perceived by students to be the most difficult ones tend to show lower Efficiency and Success Rates. In addition, the
students tend to abandon the study of any subject when they consider it is a difficult one. The results of this study suggest the
difficulties found by students during their first academic course in University.
Keywords: innovation in education; ECTS; workload; learning outcomes; academic performance rates
Agnieszka Szewczyk-Zakrzewska and
Stanislav Avsec
682–694
Predicting Academic Success and Creative Ability in Freshman Chemical
Engineering Students: A Learning Styles Perspective
The purpose of the paper is to investigate the predictive validity of learning styles on academic achievement and creativity gain.
For this purpose, freshman chemical engineering students from Cracow University of Technology were recruited (n = 100). An
experimental research design was used in this study where 49 freshman students were enrolled in a two-day creativity training
course while 51 students were enrolled in traditional Humanities course. To measure creative ability the Test of Creative ThinkingDrawing Production was used as pre- and post test. Students also completed a dynamic learning style inventory that measured
learning orientation, processing information, thinking, perceiving information, physical and time learning preferences, sociological,
emotional and environmental preferences of learning. Student performance was measured with grade point average (GPA) and
normalized creativity gain (CG). Results show that 74% of the variance in GPA and 63% of the variance in CG can be explained
by learning style predictors. Global and cluster thinking are the best positive correlated predictors in GPA while a need for
authority figure and intuitive perceiving information are the best negative correlated predictors in GPA. Nonconformist and selfmotivation are the best positive predictors in CG while a need for structure and sequential thinking are the best negative correlated
predictors in CG. The practical implications are that engineering universities should collect learning style data on students at the
outset and then help students accordingly to be more successful and creative. Highly concrete sequential learners and visual theorist
who are organized and self-motivated might potentially be offered more challenging honours programs with corresponding special
commendations on their projects and thesis, whereas students who are more intuitive, other-motivated would receive more structure
through student study groups, frequent deadlines, shorter assignments, and clearly defined learning goals for passing examinations.
Active global learners need more space for acting, demanding training objectives, and more nonconventional learning objects for
exploiting their creative ability.
Keywords: academic success; creativity gain; chemical engineering; learning styles; predictive validity
David B. Knight, Ian T. Cameron, Roger
G. Hadgraft and Carl Reidsema
695–711
The Influence of External Forces, Institutional Forces, and Academics’
Characteristics on the Adoption of Positive Teaching Practices across
Australian Undergraduate Engineering
This study investigates how academics’ personal beliefs, perspectives on institutional forces, and perspectives on external influences
relate to their teaching and learning decision-making.
Using a national-level survey of Australian engineering academics (n = 591; 16% of Australia’s engineering academics), analyses
investigate (1) how influences external and internal to the university environment vary across characteristics of academics, and (2)
how academics’ characteristics, organizational features, and external drivers relate to issues informing academics’ teaching and their
actual teaching practices. External and internal influences differed across academics based on their individual characteristics and
university contexts, and academics’ individual characteristics explained the greatest variability in their teaching considerations and
practices. For external influences (e.g., accreditation), promoting awareness of educational goals for undergraduate engineering—as
opposed to forcing outcomes into course planning—relates to more desirable teaching and learning practices. No internal
institutional policy driver related to teaching practice variables. This study points to informed, professional development that seeks
to capitalize on academics’ personal interests and characteristics and assists in helping them understand how curricula and
outcomes may better align to help student learning. Findings support working from a bottom-up model of change to improve the
teaching and learning culture within engineering programs.
Keywords: teaching and learning; change; organizational influences
Lorenzo Salas-Morera, Marı́a A. CejasMolina, José L. Olivares-Olmedilla, Marı́a
S. Climent-Bellido and Laura Garcı́aHernández
712–725
Preparing Students for Success in Engineering Degrees: A Combined
Strategy Between High School and University
A combined strategy for improving students’ recruitment, academic performance and retention rate during the last year of high
school and the first year of engineering programs, including Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Electronics
Engineering and Software Engineering, was conducted in collaboration with high-school teachers, university teachers, and peermentors. The entire working group included four high-school teachers, eight university teachers, four third-year university students,
and sixty six last-year high-school students. During the first year of the experience, the working group analyzed the main
weaknesses of the students in terms of knowledge and skills needed for their entrance to engineering degrees. Specific activities were
designed and put into practice. During the second year, a mentoring and peer-mentoring strategy was established with the goal of
giving students better information and advising about university services and resources as well as about the subjects of and
strategies for studying. With this two-year combined strategy, the academic performance of freshmen was substantially improved,
with significant differences in comparison with the students who did not participate in the project.
Keywords: outreach activities; peer-mentoring; tutoring; students retention; academic performance
Peter D. Conradie, Cesar Vandevelde,
Jolien De ville and Jelle Saldien
726–737
Prototyping Tangible User Interfaces: Case Study of the Collaboration
between Academia and Industry
Paradigms such User Experience (UX) based design approaches, along with the rise of Tangible User Interfaces, can present
hurdles for traditional product manufacturers. Industry collaboration with university potentially allows exploration with such
emerging themes, while students are exposed to design challenges from industry. In this paper, we discuss a course, Mechatronic
Product Design, where students create Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) in close collaboration with industry. An interdisciplinary
design method is described with an emphasis on iterative prototyping—within a project-based learning approach. This includes the
importance of (1) a network of industry, (2) a design method using project roadmaps and, (3) the availability of tools and
platforms in an exploratory lab environment. Close collaboration between industry and academia made it possible to implement
this approach with a total of 77 design cases. Students worked on realistic open-ended design problems using an iterative design
approach, while working in multidisciplinary teams. Companies, in turn, are able to explore new ideas at low risk. We found our
approach successful, with design cases that lead to novel research, technologies and commercial products. Four specific cases are
presented in more detail, while the general insights and guidelines can be used to improve future development of TUIs.
Keywords: tangible user interfaces; project-based-learning, methodology; embodied interaction
Marko Mišić, Živojin Šuštran and
Jelica Protić
738–748
A Comparison of Software Tools for Plagiarism Detection in Programming
Assignments
Computing education usually involves intensive practical training through laboratory exercises, programming projects, and
homework assignments. Those assignments are frequent targets for plagiarism. In this paper, we discuss social and educational
aspects of the source code plagiarism in academic environment, and present an overview of software tools for source code
similarity detection. We present our experiences with JPlag, Moss, and SPD tools, and compare them using simulated plagiarism
based on programming assignment solutions produced after 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours of work on baseline version using more than 20
types of lexical and structural modifications that students use to hide plagiarism. We also compare results of the selected tools used
on real-life student programming solutions from three different courses. The courses were attended by 100 to 300 students, and the
programming assignment solutions varied in size and complexity from 50 to 1000 lines of source code. The results show that 5–10%
of students plagiarized their solutions. In our experience, JPlag and Moss proved to be effective tools for plagiarism detection, as
they clearly indicated cases of similarity which were manually confirmed by human code inspection.
Keywords: code similarity detection; JPlag; Moss; plagiarism detection; software tools comparison
Pedro Company, Jeffrey Otey,
Manuel Contero, Maria-Jesus Agost
and Arnau Almiñana
749–761
Implementation of Adaptable Rubrics for CAD Model Quality Formative
Assessment
Evaluation rubrics are helpful as formative tools to convey quality criteria from the beginning of the training period of future
mechanical CAD users. But rubrics should provide feedback and evolve dynamically to adapt to different learning paces.
Computer-Assisted Assessment (CAA) tools can easily provide automatic feedback, although they are sometimes linked to general
purpose educational tools, which may be complicated, costly and non-customizable, thus preventing teachers from adopting them.
Hence, our main concern is finding CAA tools easy-to-use and compatible with adaptable rubrics. In this paper, a prototype of a
spreadsheet-based adaptable rubric is designed and tested in three experiments, which involved until 43 mechanical engineering
degree students. Results are analyzed to conclude that spreadsheet forms are unpractical, as its implementation requires expertise in
spreadsheet programming, and extracting information from the spreadsheet-rubrics is time consuming. But the main conclusion
from this proof of concept is that adaptable rubrics can be implemented, and allow students to evolve at different pace. Rubrics
structured around different dimensions which are progressively developed in increasing levels of detail can be efficiently
implemented as adaptable rubrics, by simply folding the low level details and allowing the user to freely unfold them under request.
Keywords: CAD model quality; formative assessment; adaptable rubrics; spreadsheets
Roman Žavbi, Nuša Fain and
Janez Rihtaršič
762–771
Using Computer-Generated Design Aids to Facilitate Alternative Concept
Embodiments
The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of computer-generated aids facilitates a greater variety of concept
embodiments compared to the classical approach. A total of 60 participants were enrolled in the Design Methodology course. They
were divided into a control group using the classical approach and an experimental group in which computer-generated aids were
employed. The embodiments produced by the participants from both groups were assessed for variety, independently by two
experts having both academic and industrial experience in the field of product development. The experts were not informed about
the groups or any of the study details. Analysis of the results of this experiment indicates that computer-generated aids play a
supportive role in concept embodiment.
Keywords: conceptual design; design process; product development; innovation; creativity
Ali Yazici, Alok Mishra and
Ziya Karakaya
772–781
Teaching Parallel Computing Concepts Using Real-Life Applications
The need to promote parallel computing concepts is an important issue due to a rapid advance in multi-core architectures. This
paper reports experiences in teaching parallel computing concepts to computer and software engineering undergraduates. By taking
a practical approach in delivering the material, students are shown to grasp the essential concepts in an effective way. This has
been demonstrated by implementing small projects during the course, such as computing the sum of the terms of a geometric series
using pipelines, solving linear systems by parallel iterative methods, and computing Mandelbrot set (fractal). This study shows that,
it is useful to provide real-life analogies to facilitate general understanding and to motivate students in their studies as early as
possible via small project implementations. The paper also describes an overall approach used to develop students’ parallel
computing skills and provides examples of the analogies employed in conjunction with the approach described. This approach is
also assessed by collecting questionnaires and learning outcome surveys.
Keywords: parallel computing; message-passing interface; speed-up factor; Flynn’s taxonomy
Yun-Wu Wu, Li-Ming Young and
Ming-Hui Wen
782–789
Developing an iBeacon-based Ubiquitous Learning Environment in Smart
Green Building Courses
Based on the Science Technology and Society (STS) teaching framework, a ubiquitous situated learning system was developed in
this study using emerging man-machine interaction technologies, such as iBeacon and Quick Response codes (QR code), to teach
the science, technology and society aspects of smart green buildings. After the teaching experiment, statistical analyses were
conducted to explore the connections among the subjects’ sex, prior knowledge levels, quiz scores, time spent in completing the
quiz, confidence in their knowledge about smart green buildings, perceived usefulness of the system, and learning interest. The
subjects in this study were 35 junior students of a department of architectural design at a university in Taiwan. Twenty-six of them
were male and 9 female. According to the analysis of the results, the use of the system could help to significantly improve the
students’ learning results regardless of the differences in their prior knowledge levels. In addition, the interactive learning provided
by the system was accepted by the students and it could help the students to effectively improve their test scores, knowledge
confidence and learning interest.
Keywords: ubiquitous learning; iBeacon; science technology and society (STS); mobile learning; intelligent green building
Zeljko Stojanov and Dalibor Dobrilovic
790–803
Qualitative Evaluation of Software Maintenance Services Integrated in a
Virtual Learning Environment
Evaluation of virtual learning environments and integrated services provides valuable feedback to educators how to improve the
quality of education and the provided services. Virtual laboratories are complex learning environments that include diverse
hardware and software components. Due to the inherent complexity of these environments, their maintenance is a challenging and
demanding task, but most often neglected. This article presents an approach to integration and qualitative evaluation of software
change request services within a complex virtual learning environment based on a virtual network laboratory. The services were
integrated with the aim to facilitate software maintenance activities in the learning environment. The evaluation of the services was
conducted with the goal to discover their advantages, disadvantages, and based on them possible improvements. Based on the
proposed research objective, qualitative research methods were selected. The evaluation was based on input from 22 final year
undergraduates and nine graduate students at the Department of Information Technology. The collected data include participants’
answers to open-ended questionnaire questions and field notes taken by the researchers. The detailed description of advantages
provides the evidence of the services’ usability, while discovered disadvantages form the basis for directing further improvements of
the services and the learning environment. The detailed description of the research context, used methods, research process, as well
as the research findings provides a guideline for conducting similar researches aimed at evaluating various types of services in
learning environments.
Keywords: virtual learning environment; virtual network laboratory; software change request; software maintenance; qualitative
evaluation
Stanislav Avsec, David Rihtaršic and
Slavko Kocijancic
804–817
The Impact of Robotics-Enhanced Approach on Students’ Satisfaction in
Open Learning Environment
The purpose of the paper is to investigate whether a technology-intensive open learning that promotes constructivist approach has
a significant effect on the student satisfaction, cognitive load, and psychomotor difficulty of the robotics course. A technologyintensive course must address the following outcomes: demonstrate a sound understanding of several technology concepts, systems,
and operations, use a variety of technologies to access, evaluate, collect, and manage data, information, and datasets, understand
the impact of technology on themselves and their culture, environment, and society, and practice legal and ethical behavior in the
context of technology. For this purpose, four cohorts of middle school students were recruited (n = 267). Two consecutive roboticsenhanced Summer School 2012 and Summer School 2013 were organized with experiential learning cycle followed by two
consecutive performance of open learning of robotics at Technology Days, performed in 2014 and in 2015, using inquiry-based
learning method in real-classroom settings. Open learning of robotics refers to minimal constraints on access, pace and method of
study where direct manipulation environments are used very often to increase student success. Technology Days as compulsory
part of curriculum are aimed to develop positive attitude towards technology and to advance technological literacy using mostly
inductive strategies and approaches to learning. Multivariate analysis of covariance and regression analysis were performed to
determine the contribution of predictor variables to students’ cognitive, emotional and behavioural course outcomes as the
important outcomes that influence a success of instructional intervention and the decision to continue or drop-out of a course. The
results showed that composite variable of learning environment was a good predictor of student satisfaction and psychomotor
easiness; learning material improves processing fluency; self-efficacy predicts satisfaction while self-regulated learning enables
psychomotor easiness. Surprisingly, interactions among students and content did not significantly contribute to the predication of
student satisfaction, nor to perceived course easiness. Additionally, experiential learning facilitates cognitive processing fluency,
considering joint effects with variable of sex seemed to have influence on student satisfaction. The results of the study suggest to
influence students’ motivation and goals by adapting instruction accordingly.
Keywords: robotics; constructivism; student attitude; satisfaction; cognitive load; psychomotor difficulty
Maja Lutovac Banduka
818–829
Robotics First—A Mobile Environment for Robotics Education
Resources in the robotics field are limited for a common user to access and demand deep knowledge of robot programming
paradigm, so it is not often possible for students to become familiar in a practical manner with the programming and control of
complex robotic systems. The aim of this new approach is to get high school students interested in the programming and control of
robotic manipulators and to teach senior year students how to program control algorithms and to control complex robotic systems
by using remote access to the robotic laboratory and a programming method that does not require deep knowledge of robot
programming language. Additionally, the objective is to accomplish this aim by using widespread and inexpensive devices such as
smartphones and tablets. To achieve these objectives, we have developed Robotics First—an Android OS (operating system)—
based environment for simulation and remote control of robotic manipulators using mobile devices. The efficacy of Robotics First
was evaluated from the point of view of 64 electrical engineering students, concerning its usability and usefulness.
Keywords: education; mobile learning; robotics; smartphone
Jon Zarrajeria and Begoña Garcı́a
Zapirain
830–840
Using Actual Cases of Pathological Speech Improvement to Teach Digital
Signal Processing
This paper introduces a software developed using MATLAB to help undergraduates gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical
concepts of digital signal processing they learn in the class. The tool, ESO-Lab, demonstrates important theoretical concepts, such
as filter model, windowing, signal modification, poles and zeros, and post-processing filtering, as they apply to real cases of
pathological speech improvement. The tool was used by the students to conduct several laboratory exercises. Its impact on
students’ satisfaction was assessed through a survey in which 16 students participated. The approach seems to lead to satisfactory
results in terms of learning and student motivation.
Keywords: MATLAB; project-based learning; digital signal processing; oesophageal speech
Petre Ogrutan, Florin Sandu and
Carmen Gerigan
841–848
Using Students Own Mobile Phones in Teaching Wireless Programming
Techniques Laboratory
This paper presents laboratory setups that were developed to familiarize students with the use of the AT command set which is a
command language having a series of short text strings, that control operations such as hanging up, dialing and changing
connection parameters for modems. The laboratory exercise focuses on applying programming techniques to wireless modules such
as GPRS, Bluetooth, and ZigBee. To meet the objective of increased attractiveness, laboratory activities were designed to
encourage students to use their own mobile phones for receiving SMS, making calls or data transfers - controlled by the AT
commands. An impact study was carried out between 2009 and 2015 and involved a total of 149 students. The benefits of the new
approach were assessed using questionnaires based on the Likert scale. An important expected educational profit was the increased
acceptance of optional project modules in wireless interfacing.
Keywords: AT commands; mobile phones; student satisfaction; project based learning
Yuri Álvarez López
849–865
Innovative Approach to Teaching Radar and Radiolocalization Course
This contribution describes a set of actions devoted to increase the interest of the students on radar and radiolocalization-related
courses, as well as covering the learning outcomes and competences defined for the course. After introducing the context of the
radar course within a 5-year engineering degree, the course syllabus is detailed, focusing on the laboratory projects to be developed
by the students, and proposed in the context of a teaching innovation project. Quality assessment mechanisms are defined to verify
the effectiveness of the adopted actions. Besides, the transition to the new 4-year EHEA-like engineering degree (plus a 2-year
master degree) is discussed, comparing the radar course in both degrees and the students’ results. Although the course structure is
conceived for a number of 15–20 students, this number was surpassed in some of the analyzed academic years, thus requiring an
analysis of the problems derived from this situation. A brief description of radar courses taught at other higher education
institutions is also provided in order to better put into context the proposed teaching innovation actions.
Keywords: radar course; teaching innovation action; laboratory project; quality assessment
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